The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-11-27
AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS.
An Oversight That is Altogether
Too Common.
"Peace be within thy walls
Prosperity within thy palace

Psalm crIit, 2.
1t is in reference to peace, and the
construction of our modern house in
contributing to it, that wish to speak.
We all know the American householder
is in a hurry. He builds his house to
sleep in, to SYSTEMATICALLY, but does
he really build it to live inf and in
all the accommodations that necessity
demands, does he remember those
graces of space, and thought, that shall
form refugees for that peace so desir-
able to have abiding within his walls ?
Let me explain. My friend Gillespie
has built beautiful house. He has ex-
pended about $11 600 in making home
for his family. Mrs. Gillespie took me
over the new house with great pride,
and l was pleased with all | saw, save l
missed, what has become, in my mind
the crying need of American house
holds. The rooms were spacious, the
windows large. admitting sunshine !;
drawing-room, library, receptiOn-room
and dining room and kitchen on the
first floor, the library ard drawing
room opening upon the broad hall.
Up stairs, we found Mary and Kate,
the young lady daughters, occupied
rooms adjoining their mother 5,
while Susy had her little chambe 1
so imme diately connected with her
parents, that it should have been the
dressing-room. The boys, two mis-
chevious ellis of II and IA, were domi-
ciled in the third story, and l was told
with delight, and profound secresy, by
the eldest, that he could slide in the
hoo VTo III \, L.
tree, descend to the long slope of the
roof, and get in or out at night and none
of the household be the wiser. Don't
you give it away, nowW he concluded
with such confidence in me that trust
this may never reach his eye.
The guest chamber and servants
rooms completed the upper floor. No
where In that beautiful house did I find
a spot, sacred alone to the rulers of the
household, where father or mother could
60 and spend few moments alone and
undlsturbed, to gather strength and
courage in governing their Kingdom.
Mothers bedroom was the rendezvous
sfor Lucy, Ted, or Harry on their return
from school or play. They knew they
| would find her there, Kate and Mary
with her, or in their room adjoining.
and more than often it was 10 find her
tired with day of Vexations, greeting
with the displeasure of fatigue, Ted's
torn jacket, or Lucy's school grievance.
There she has been sitting all day
sewing or listening to demands of
butcher, baker and candlestick-maker.
She is tired mentally more than ply
sically. She has a missionary journal
she would like to read, but it is in the
library down stairs, and she is too tired
after If Shn fhir,Hc
patiently-on rainy Saturdays, espe-
cjally-she would be content never to
see the faces of her children again.
Then tears fill her eyes, and she repents
and is ashamed.
All this IS owing, in the first place to
a waste of time. Lift not up Mortified
eyes and hands, OH mother for every
woman, no matter how industrious.
wastes time when she deprives herself
Of natural rest, and outdoes her
strength. becoming too tired to ne
amiable. Work accomplished at this
expense is always wasted time. In the
second place, she has no spot sacred to
her own thoughts and prayers, for
strength tn bear the daily burden.
How many woman said: "Oh! got !
so wildly nervous with the noise of the |
children, and vexations of the kitchen.
Cndt just ran away from 1t all. l shall |
go back presently and straighten the |
snarl, and presume l shall be cross as
fwo sticks all the eYeningw
Would she have felt thus If she couId
have gone, in her own house, to a quiet
spot, and have been alone for half an
hour, locked in with her own thoughts.
reminded by surroundings of her good
gifts from heaven. !
Soon this quiet spot becomes the !
heart OF the household, and as it throbs
IN peace and prayer, so will the vholet
household feel its motion. Oh! for
such asylums in every house, filed
only with words of love, supplioation
and faith, endeavoring from thence,
and not from diversions gathered with.
out to influence the sweet concord oil
nome life. Then truly will we saw.
Peace be within thy walls; prosperity
within thy palaces. "-Oliver Lowell
Wflsen, in Good housekeeping.